It is generally appreciated that rubber articles have certain inherent properties such as viscoelasticity, which is not generally variable in the end article. That is, once the rubber article is made, its viscoelasticity is generally set and cannot be selectively varied. Understanding that certain rubber articles may benefit from the ability to vary the elastic modulus, whether time-dependent or time-independent, thereof, the present invention seeks to provide such rubber articles and methods for making them.
The present invention may find particular application in tires. Rolling resistance contributes to 6 to 10% of the overall fuel consumption in a vehicle. Its rolling resistance of tires could be reduced by even a small percentage, fuel consumption could be significantly lowered. However, merely providing tires with significantly lower or higher rolling resistance is not an acceptable solution in that the viscoelasticity quantified by loss tans as required for a great reduction in rolling resistance, for example, on a highway, would not be found suitable for driving conditions requiring higher torque, frictional force and traction in tires, such as driving mountainous roads and lifting heavy loads. Thus, there is a need in the art for rubber articles, and particularly tires, in which the elastic modulus and time-dependent elasticity thereof can be varied, at will.